Lost all braking ability due to a ABS brake acuator internal leak on hybrid vehicle

- Santa Ana, CA, USA

ABS brake system failure driving down the highway leaving the car 100% with no brakes as driving down the highway in heavy traffic nearly causing a major accident and potential risk of life. Car regularly maintained and well cared for. Dealer calling for $5,200 repair with no alternative. Parts required are ABS modulator P/N 44050-48320 @ $2,700 and ABS pump assembly P/N 47070-48020 @ $1,010 plus approximatdely $1,200 in labor. Had this system fixed over a year ago with the correct parts and the system has failed once again, parts are now out of warranty. Car is unsafe to drive using oem parts.

- Auburn, AL, USA

Braking power assist failure caused fender bender in parking lot, leaking brake fluid found at brake pump. Dash warning lights appeared the next day.

- Brightwood, OR, USA

This is the second failure warning about the brake system (ABS warning) since we purchased the vehicle new. Repairs cost us in excess of $5000 the first time the system failed. I placed a phone call to Toyota's national customer support and was told they have no records of any repairs to the braking system on our vehicle matching this warning message. We have all the repair and service records since the car was purchased new from Toyota, including the mentioned brake system failure repairs. The Toyota representative was no help, and said we need to get the car diagnosed by a Toyota dealer.

- Bakersfield, CA, USA

Lights appeared on dash "brake malfunction", "check brake system", "check vsc system". took my 2008 Toyota Highlander hybrid to my local Toyota dealership. They said that it was the ABS brake system and it would cost $6000 to repair. I had the exact same problem in my 2007 Toyota Highlander hybrid. In that case, Toyota issued a warranty extension and the brakes were fixed by the local dealership. I had not yet decided what to do about my current brake problem. I had just gotten all four tires replaced as they were getting bald. I was on a trip back from va to SC with my family on I-95 South. It was raining. I was in the left lane and there was heavy traffic. There was suddenly a large traffic accident ahead of me and cars came to an abrupt stop in both lanes. I hit the brakes and began to skid. I do not think that there was enough water on the road that I was hydroplaning...I was simply skidding on the wet pavement. I could not stop in time to keep from hitting the car in front of me, so I steered into the emergency lane, still skidding. Another car swerved into the emergency lane so I turned the wheel again to skid into the grass on the left side of the highway. I was now skidding sideways down a grassy embankment towards trees at the bottom of the embankment. Luckily the car finally skidded to a stop and came slowly to rest against a tree. There was body damage to the vehicle, but nobody was injured. I am sure that the ABS brakes were not functioning and this is why the car locked up and skidded so far. It was skidding as if we were on ice.

- Columbia, SC, USA

I was driving on the highway and the brake light and ABS came on and started beeping. When the brake is engaged, it's hard to stop and very hard to depress the pedal, inspection for the operation of the braking system- fail. The mechanic stated we have to replace power brake booster and the ABS actuator assembly. $6,000

- Aurora, CO, USA

I have a 2008 Toyota higlander hybrid. Dash warnings appeared suddenly: Check vsc system, check ABS, brake malfunction. I took the vehicle to my local dealer and was told that the repair would cost $6000. I previously owned a 2007 Toyota Highlander hybrid. Same thing happened in that vehicle. Toyota issued a warranty extension and the problem was solved. Looks like the same issue in the 2008 Toyota Highlander hybrid.

- Columbia, SC, USA

Brake malfunction warning and ABS warning lights came on unexpectedly while driving. Upon inspection at the Toyota dealership, I was told that the vehicle has a major system failure, the ABS actuator had failed and would need to be replaced at a cost of over $4000. It appears that, like with the 2006-2007 models for which warranty coverage has been extended, this is a common problem. This is an unsafe, sudden failure putting lives at risk!

- Marana, AZ, USA

Brake system malfunction lights came on, check ABS system lights came on while driving on the freeway and I lost function of my antilock brakes which felt very unsafe at high speeds. Brought it to the mechanic who told me the brake accumulator was leaking internally and will not hold pressure and the actuator has internal nitrogen contamination. They recommend I replace both parts and quoted me $5400! there was a recall on the 2007 mode for the same issue that is currently happening with my 2008 model. I believe there should be a recall on this model as well, as losing your brakes while driving.

- Dixon, CA, USA

Brake actuator problem causing need to replace entire breaking system. Many similar complaints being reported. Similar recall on 2006 and 2007 models.

- Apex, NC, USA

Brake malfuntion warning indicator lights, ABS, vsc(sliip indicatorl) light),emergency brake light and master warning lights illuminate on instrument panel. I, ve been dealing with this for 2 weeks now. The first time I took it in to the dealership, the diagonistic test showed nothing, , but, possibly could be low voltage from a perfectly good 18months and 20 day old battery bought from the dealership. I had a new battery put in for fear of doing anything to harm the hybrid system. May I also add that the dealership offered no prorate on the battery.. about 200 miles, less than 4 days, everything lit up again. Fearing what I had researched on line, they quoted me a price of $5129 for this repair of ABS pump/brake actuator.. really"? who has that kind of money for a defect that should be taken care of by Toyota? I asked them to return the battery taken from my car a few days earlier since that wasn't the problem. I told them I would have to look at my options about the ridiculous repair. I was offered $6000 at the dealership or possibly more for a trade in for my vehicle.. nice, right?" still in shock, , I pull all the maintenance records of which this vehicle with 113,400 miles has been meticulously maintained.since it was bought at that dealership now, I am wondering if they even know how to do diagionistic testing since one week it didn't show up and a few days later it did! now, I research more and and find a recall 13V396000 of 09/04/13 for the hybrid propulsion system, inverter component which explicitly describes what happened to my highlander. I am wondering if my car was in that group and if I was. Toyota needs to step up and make it right. I have no problem paying for normal wear and tear of a vehicle, ....but this is clearly a Toyota defect!!

- Asheboro, NC, USA

We purchased a 2008 Highlander hybrid in 2016. The car was practically maintenance free until last week. All service except oil changes have been done by the local Toyota dealer. My wife was pulling out of the driveway when the ABS/vsc lights came on and the console said to pull over. A code scan said it was C1391, internal acc pressure leak. Took it to the dealer. They said it needed a new brake accumulator and a new brake booster for a total of over $5000! researching the issue, I found it is a fairly common issue for these cars. When I called Toyota to ask if the cost of this repair, equal to 1/3 the cost of the vehicle, could be mitigated, I eventually got a woman who told me that since I didn't take the car in to the dealer for nearly a year in 2015, I was not a loyal Toyota customer and they have chosen not to help me. Really!!?? the car didn't need any service during that time! I own 5 other cars including a couple of bmws and I have never had a repair this expensive and have never been admonished by an automobile company representative for not getting a car serviced when it didn't need it. This was our first Toyota and will be out last.

- Youngsville, LA, USA

3 weeks after we purchased our 2008 Highlander hybrid with only 115,000 miles on it, the whole dashboard lit up with warning lights. The lights indicated that the ABS had malfunctioned. It said to pull over and get it checked by the Toyota dealership immediately. We took it to the dealership and were told that there was an abnormal leak in the accumulator and that it will cost $4693.46 to repair. This is after we had just purchased the vehicle for $15,000. We are a family with 6 kids and obviously do not have that kind of money. We continued driving the highlander until it became completely unsafe. The brakes stopped working while I was driving it one day with my kids. The brakes would go all the way to the floor and barely even stopped me. I managed to make it home without being in a wreck, but we feel that it is totally unsafe to drive. It is the only vehicle that we have to Transport all of our family, and we aren't sure what to do. My husband has researched and discovered that the ABS has been recalled in the 2006 and 2007 Toyota highlanders. We have also discovered that there are numerous complaints similar to ours with the 2008 highlander. We really hope that you consider the safety issue that is at stake with the brakes going out in these vehicles. This part needs to be recalled and this issue needs to be taken care of to ensure the safety of many americans.

- Mills River, NC, USA

A bunch of lights came on including my ABS and warnings flashed.. I brought it to a Toyota dealership in ga and they tried to charge me like 4000 to replace it.. they told my wife if it wasn't replaced she may die when she left the dealership. She was praying and completely scared out of her mind. It's still not fixed.. she drive it with all the lights on to Colorado and I still have no idea how I can fix this problem. Apparently I'm not the only one.. I love Toyota and really hope some one reaches out soon.

- Pueblo, CO, USA

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Highlander hybrid. While driving 35 mph, the brake pedal pulsated. Also, the brake malfunction, ABS, bsb, check brake system, and emergency brake warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Toyota of clermont (16851 state road 50, clermont, fl 34711) where it was diagnosed that the brake actuator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and referred the contact to NHTSA. The failure mileage was 141,565.

- Center Hill, FL, USA

In August of 2017 we were driving our 20088 Toyota Highlander hybrid and all of sudden the display warned of ABS vsc malfunction and to pull over or take car to nearest dealer, the brake pedals lost compression or pressure and the brake was not working hardly. Took to the mechanic shop that has been doing the regular maintenance, they performed diagnostics and stated ABS module needed to be replaced. They advise car was not safe to drive. Checked this website and carcomplaints to see many other users same issue, contacted Toyota, they stated they had no recalls, its out of warranty, we would have to pay the $4000 to have fixed, we paid for the repair out of pocket, which was a financial hit for us. Contacted Toyota today about reimbursement for repair cost, said they dont have it recalled or a campaign for the issue, I stated this website with the complaints and other sites, was basically told until a recall is on the issue, wouldnt be refunded.

- Canton, GA, USA

While driving under normal conditions, vehicle warning lights for ABS brakes, parking brake, vsc and brake malfunction all illuminated with message to stop vehicle immediately in a safe location and contact dealer. Dealer diagnostic discovered code C1391 "accumulator leak", which is an internal leak and not visible from external inspection - I had just brought the vehicle in to the dealer for regularly scheduled maintenance 3 weeks prior. Dealer service dept said ABS system had failed and recommended removing and replacing brake actuator assembly at a cost of $4,622! after researching online, I learned ABS braking system failures are a widespread and common problem for the highlander. Toyota issued recalls for 2006, 2007 models for ABS brake actuator, but not for 2008 highlander. Toyota knows this is a safety issue (servco service dept in Hawaii stated they have seen multiple instances of this brake actuator failure). Note my 2008 highlander is under 80K miles. Toyota needs to do the right thing and add the 2008 highlander model to the current brake actuator recall so that this safety concern is fixed.

- Kaneohe, HI, USA

ABS, vsc lights came on while on a bridge on at highway at 70 mph; pulled over safely to check function; brakes still worked, ABS did not; took to a dealer next day; dealer advised the ABS accumulator was defective and other error codes (over power) indicated a leak in the ABS network. Dealer advised parts alone would exceed 4800 usd not including labor.

- Beaver, PA, USA

The car has been meticulously maintained by the dealership since it was purchased new and has never been used for towing. We were driving normally when we began noticing a series of recurring hydraulic-like pulsations and noises whenever depressing the brake pedal even when the vehicle isn't moving. The pulsation sensation can be felt throughout the brake system when the brakes are applied even when not moving. The series of noises are coming directly from the ABS system/actuator under the hood whenever the brake pedal is depressed. I believe this is due to an abnormal leak in the accumulator. The vehicle previously showed no signs of any issues when the Toyota service technician last inspected it. We have since paid a significant amount of money to have the brakes inspected and fluid changed, but that did absolutely nothing to resolve the issue. After doing research we are confident the issue is exactly as hundreds of other owners have previously reported to Toyota, BBB, and NHTSA. Toyota has since issues recalls and warranty extensions for the other Toyota hybrid model that utilize the same platform/system but just not for the later 2008 Highlander hybrid. Someone needs to step up and hold Toyota accountable for the same faulty parts they continued to install in their other hybrid vehicles they sold to consumers. The ABS system is clearly not functioning properly as hundreds of consumers have previously noted. Why would Toyota cover the cost of repair for other hybrids with this same defect but not others? there needs to be a recall or warranty extension issued for this model/year as Toyota has issued for other hybrid models using the same platform. I am seriously concerned and troubled by the safety factors this malfunction presents especially when traveling at any speed. This is clearly a well-documented problem for the 2008 models.

- Santa Barbara, CA, USA

ABS module went out during ice storm making car unsafe to drive. Looking online, I see that this has been a fairly common problem with this year and model of my particular car. I was lucky that I live in houston which rarely has icy roads

- Houston, TX, USA